Functional notebooks

GIZMO GALLERY

HCL MiLeap is a Linux-based leaptop (as HCL likes to call them) and is definitely not recommended for heavy-duty computer users who lug a lot of data around or graphic designers, gamers, etc. Starting at Rs 13,990 (plus taxes), it is ideally for roadrunners or college students.

HCL offers three variants for its MiLeaps. The X series comes with 2GB flash based memory with options for 2.5 GB solid-state drive.

The latest, MiLeap L series comes with a 30 GB hard disk and Linux OS, while the S series sports the same disk capacity, but runs on Microsoft Windows XP Starter Edition. Bearing in mind that its USP is mobility, the data card slot and Wi-Fi should be seen as upsides as is the inclusion of Ethernet port.

Sharing the category are the image book series from Sahara. These notebooks are loaded with AMD Geode LX 800 Processor and battery that barely stretches beyond 3 hours, at best. Prices start at Rs 14,999 (plus taxes) for a 60 GB image book with an 8-inch display. Giving tough competition to toys, Asus's Eee PC is all of 9x6 inches and yet packs in a lot of punch.

For example, a 7-inch display and three 2.0 USB ports, VGA out, Ethernet and modem ports, microphone input and headphone jacks, a lock slot, and even an MMC/SD card reader.

Although Sahara scores by adding Wi-Fi to its image books, the Asus Eee PC comes with 4 GB solid state disk. If you intend to tinker heavily with Eee PC or wish to install Windows, then get the 512MB model.

It is the bundled Linux OS that makes the Sahara's image books, HCL's MiLeap and Asus's Eee PC work better. Try running a Windows on these existing devices (with the above mentioned hardware configurations) and you will realise screens either have too little real estate (too few pixels) or the pixels are so tightly packed that the devices become hard to read.

One of the problems with Windows XP on a device this small is that the interface doesn't scale well. There are accessibility options which allow you to increase the font size in documents, the width of the scroll bars and so on, but they're not designed to cope with a small high-resolution screen. The